


In Error

by betweentheheavesofstorm



Series: Keeping One's Word And Other Mistakes [4]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bodyguard, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Modern Westeros, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-02
Updated: 2017-10-02
Packaged: 2019-01-07 22:22:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12241758
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/betweentheheavesofstorm/pseuds/betweentheheavesofstorm
Summary: When all else fails, the sea is there.





	In Error

People are treating Brienne differently now. They speak with quieter voices, as if her father is already dead and they must be respectful of that. Almost worse than that is the courtesy they’re now affording her. After consistently walking all over her, they seem to have suddenly realised that she’s her father’s heir and will be inheriting sooner rather than later.

She’s not a violent person, but she would very much like to stab them.

For his part, Jaime has continued his silence. He probably has his hands full. The company dinner is this weekend. Though the Lannisters are always appeasing various investors, she’s been made to understand this one is a big deal. Something about a possible partnership with Olenna Tyrell. She doesn’t know or care about it beyond that.

The morning of the dinner, she almost texts Jaime to ask if he’s going to do the drinking game. It’s the best way she can think of to ask how he’s doing and she only wants to know that because it’s a break from her own head.

Somehow the words don’t quite form. Selwyn is taking up all of her energy; she doesn’t have any left for anyone else. Jaime’s just going to have to continue surviving without her. He’s managed before; presumably he knows how.

She spends the morning in the hospital, until the nurses shoo her away. They’re working hard to be sympathetic, but she’s starting to get in the way. The fine weather is still holding up, so after lunch she heads out to the coast.

When – because it is a when, now – Selwyn dies, the island is hers. Westeros might have come a long way in terms of government, but the House of Lords still holds and the people of Tarth have a respect for her family. (Why, she’s not quite sure. If she were one of them, she’d have wanted a revolution long ago.) Which means that in a few days or a few weeks, her career prospects will shrink rapidly.

Living on Tarth would be fine if she had something else to do. Brienne can visualise a future here, so long as it is sufficiently different from the past. How she’s going to make that happen, she has no idea. But it will happen at some point. The alternative is not worth considering.

‘They said I would find you here.’

The words cut through her train of thought and she turns, surprised and half convinced she hallucinated them. But no, he’s there. Standing on the coastal path behind her, wearing the red leather jacket he takes everywhere.

‘Jaime.’

‘That’s my name, yes.’

He’s here. On Tarth. He came _here._

If this is a hallucination, something is very wrong with her.

‘What are you doing?’

‘Looking at the sea. It’s nice.’

‘What the _fuck_ are you doing?’

‘No “how was your flight” or “I’ve missed you too?”’ He steps closer, so he’s standing on the path next to her. That infuriating smile is playing round the edges of his mouth. ‘I probably I should have called.’

‘ _Probably.’_

Now that the surprise is subsiding, she can’t suppress her relief. In the time that she’s been here no one else has looked at her like this – like they actually give a damn about what comes out of her mouth. She’d left pieces of herself on the mainland, the bits that her father or his people wouldn’t want to see. Bits that she didn’t want them to see. Somehow, Jaime’s brought those pieces with him and she can feel them reattaching to the rest of her.

‘If this is a mistake, I can go. But I felt like I should be here, and when I feel something I usually act on it.’

‘Why? What about the dinner?’

‘You said your father was worse. I thought I should be with you.’

‘Really? You’re turning my dad dying into a PR thing?’

‘That’s not what I meant.’

‘What did you mean?’ Even now, when she’s got all the reasons to be angry, she’s still suppressing the urge to hug him. ‘You get bored in King’s Landing?’

‘I thought you could use a friend.’

‘Is that what you are, now?’

‘Aren’t I?’

He’s been a lot of things for one person. She answers honestly.

‘I don’t know.’

‘It’s a good view,’ he remarks, breaking eye contact to look at the waves. ‘I understand the sapphire hype.’

‘What about the dinner? Olenna Tyrell – ’

‘Will be received by my father,’ he finishes. ‘He’s still head of the company. My presence would have been diplomatic, not critical. The damn dinner doesn’t matter.’

That’s a definite lie; he says it too easily. For one reason or another, she doesn’t call him on it.

‘How is he?’ Jaime adds. ‘Your father?’

‘Not good.’ Now it’s her who’s staring at the sea. ‘I want to be with him, but there’s only so much I can do.’

‘It must be difficult.’

‘Yeah.’

‘I lost my mother when I was four. I didn’t really understand what was happening.’ He looks at Brienne, and it strikes her that this is the most serious he’s ever been. ‘It must be terrible.’

‘Thank you.’ It’s a pathetic response, but what else is she to say?

‘If there is anything I can do – ’

‘No. But still thanks. And I’m sorry for cancelling on you. I’ll refund what you paid me.’

‘There’s no need – ’

‘I’m going to do it. You paid me to do a job, I failed to fulfil it.’

‘Everyone still thinks we’re together. Not having held hands in front of the Tyrells won’t have shattered that notion.’

‘That’s not what our agreement was.’

‘Things have changed.’

‘I don’t want pity money.’

‘Which part of my being your friend didn’t you comprehend?’

That’s not a road she wants to go down, but if he demands it, she will. They’re going to have to confront it sooner or later. Better to get it over with, and then see if they can salvage anything.

‘The part where you kissed me,’ she says, forcing herself to maintain eye contact.

It’s satisfying to watch the words take impact. He looks at his feet. There’s a long pause, and for once she’s happy to let stretch out.

‘I shouldn’t have done it,’ he says eventually. ‘I’m sorry.’

Relieved as she is that he’s being honest, the words still hurt. However long she’s known he made a mistake, it’s different hearing it confirmed out loud.

‘Then you understand why I refuse to be in your debt.’

‘Yes. And Brienne, I am sorry.’

‘I wouldn’t have thought you were that kind of person.’

‘What? The kind with feelings?’

Well, that doesn’t make any sense.

‘I know that you’re a Lannister. I expect you to be self-serving. Mean, even. But I never thought you’d be careless.’

‘Hold on.’ He’s frowning, now. ‘What are you talking about?’

‘You used me.’ She has to force the words out. ‘You were, I don’t know, bored, and I was there. I get it.’

He’s silent for a good moment, apparently trying to figure out what to say. He shouldn’t be surprised that she figured it out. He knows that she’s smart enough to.

‘Brienne, that’s not why I kissed you.’

‘Really.’

‘I thought it was obvious, that that was the reason you left.’

‘What was obvious?’

‘That I had feelings for you.’ He says it so incredulously it sounds easy. ‘I was clearly mistaken when I thought it was reciprocated. So I offered you space and you took it.’

Brienne just stares. He has feelings for her. _Jaime_ cares about her and what she thinks of him. He –

She grabs the front of his leather jacket and pulls him to her. His mouth is as she remembered it, warm and eager and he is one of the pieces of her that she’s regained.

He pulls away after a moment, still looking confused.

‘You thought I wasn’t serious?’

‘It was hard not to.’

‘And you – ‘

‘Yes.’ It was an inevitability; it’s easy to recognise now. Not from the moment they met, or even the moment she started working for him. It was some time after that. Whenever it was that they understood each other, still not knowing what they’d stumbled upon.

And she hasn’t been able to get him out of her head all week.

‘I suppose,’ Jaime says, ‘that this gets us out of thinking of breakup scenarios.’

She doesn’t wait before kissing him, this time.

 

 

Her bed at Evenfall is too small for both of them, tall as they are. He accepts a guest room, and does his best to convince her to join him there.

(It doesn’t take her much convincing.)

Sleeping next to him is a lot more comfortable when they don’t have to negotiate a neutral space. It also means she’s got a way to warm up her feet, with the added bonus of the noise Jaime makes when he feels them, cold, against his. Plus when he snores, she can nudge him until he moves onto his side.

He’s offered to come to the hospital with her. Selwyn will be thrilled to meet the boyfriend in the flesh. Brienne’s too worried about her father to be bitter about it.

‘He’ll probably want me to marry you,’ she warns Jaime. ‘To strengthen our family, or something.’

‘I feel that would be rushing things slightly,’ he says. ‘I haven’t even bought you dinner yet.’

‘Which you’re doing because you’re rich, not because you’re a man.’

‘Precisely.’

She’s still getting her head around this. What’s the most difficult to register is how familiar it already is. Possibly that’s to be expected, when they’ve spent weeks pretending to date, but even when they’re alone it’s not nearly as awkward as it should be.

She’s also acutely aware that there are going to be downsides. The continued scrutiny of the media, more dinners with Cersei and Tywin – it’s only the start of a list. Not to mention what Asha’s going to say. She’s going to have a lot of explaining to do. Asha is definitely going to ask what Jaime’s like in bed and even thought Brienne _can_ answer that question now doesn’t mean she ever wants to.

But waking up with Jaime next to her, watching him aggressively press snooze and pulling her close for the next five minutes – that might just be worth it.

**Author's Note:**

> Me, actually sticking to my word and keeping a mini series mini? I'm as surprised as anyone. But here it is, anyway.
> 
> And why the sudden burst of productivity after a long gap between parts 2 and 3? It's because I finished Black Sails and I have nothing to do in my evenings. 
> 
> Hope you like it, and thanks so much to all the people who've commented, bookmarked and left kudos for this series. Y'all are great. 
> 
> As always I'm findable on tumblr at [betweentheheavesofstorm](http://www.betweentheheavesofstorm.tumblr.com).


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